Language:Spanish, a few speak English

Currency

Peso, check the banks for exchange rate to your currency . Because of the stability of the Chilean economy it has stayed around 470 pesos to 1 US Dollar for quite a while. Changing money from and to most currencies is unrestricted and easy. They have what they call RedBank here and they are everywhere. It is a automatic teller machine and if you have a US bank card you can usually use it! Really. It will give you pesos at a good rate and charge your bank at home.

Travel Costs

Travelers' checks are unquestionably safer than cash, but in smaller towns and out-of-the-way locations, it can be difficult to find a bank that will change them, so carrying some cash is a good idea. Only ATMs in larger cities will be compatible with international debit systems like Plus or Cirrus. Credit cards are fairly widely accepted.

In restaurants, it is customary to tip about 10% of the bill. In general, waiters and waitresses are poorly paid, so if you can afford to eat out, you can afford to tip. Taxi drivers do not require tips, although you may round off the fare for convenience. Long-distance bus or shared taxi fares are negotiable. Purchases from handicrafts markets will be subject to bargaining, and haggling on hotel prices is possible in the off-season or for long stays.

Weather

Because of the extreme length of Chile it varies a lot by region. In general it is of course the reverse of the US August being winter there and December being summer. It can be quite Chile (or is it chilly?) in the winter, I mean June to more or less September so be prepared. The summers, October to May, can be very warm. UV sunglasses are also advised the UV here is very high.

Local Time

GMT minus 5 hours ( During Chile daylight savings time -4hours). During our (US East Coast) winter there is 2 hours difference. In summer Chile and the East Coast US are on the same time.

When to go

Conversely, Chilean ski resorts draw many foreigners during the northern summer (June through August). Easter Island is cooler, slightly cheaper and much less crowded outside the summer months. The same is true of the Juan Fernandez archipelago, which can be inaccessible if winter rains erode the dirt airstrip; March is an ideal time for a visit.

Getting there

Chile's border-crossing points with Peru and Bolivia are few and far between. The crossing between Arica in Chile and Tacna in Peru provides the only land access to Peru; road and rail connections link Chile with Bolivia, passing through Arica, Visviri, Tambo Quemado or Calama. Except in Patagonia, every crossing into Argentina involves crossing the Andes. Routes include Calama-Salta, Copiapó-Tucumán via Catamarca; La Serena-San Juan; and Santiago-Mendoza. More interesting are the many Lake District and southern Patagonian routes, with buses and ferries servicing the crossing points between Chile and Argentina.

Getting Around

Competition has lowered domestic air fares, and regional airlines and air taxis traverse the country's long extent. Air passes are particularly attractive. There is a tax of US$5 payable on domestic flights. Most larger cities (over 150,000 population) have daily air service.

Roads: The Panamericana, also called route 5, goes almost the entire length of the country with helpful Carabinero (police) stations about every 5 feet. It is divided from Santiago to about 250 miles South. It is in very good condition generally with numerous gas stations (Texaco, Mobil, Copec) and they have usually the dreaded quick stops for Cokes, sandwiches etc. A car trip through Chile is both practical and enjoyable. There are also lots of pretty good quality motels along major roads that also can add to the fun of a car trip. You can drive with a valid foreign driver's license.

Taxis in town are fairly cheap. By law they are all supposed to equipped with meters. Quality of the cars varies from escapees from demolition derbies to nice modern cars. Two cautions: make sure the meter is running and started at the base (about 220 pesos) and you have small change. Tipping taxis is not customary but appreciated.

Hotels

Communication

Chile has cable TV( CNN, HBO etc.), a great phone system, and one of the highest incidence of personal computers in Latin America. Chile has a definite European flavor having been settled largely by Italians, Germans and English and of course Spanish, and a few Texans ( ever check out their respective flags?). They also have Internet with a bunch of ISP's, 'course the average price is 3x the US and they charge local calls by the minute!!! For telephone the country code is 56, Santiago is city code 2 so you would dial 56-2-xxxxx

Cellular phones

You can rent a cellular phone here for a reasonable price and it works throughout the country. It really is amazing that you can keep in touch with the folks back home from almost anywhere in Chile.

Electricity

220v 50c, don't plug in your 110v hair dryer unless you want to fry it and your hair!!! You can get transformers that will work depending on the amps you need. The wall plugs are different but the adapters are cheap and pretty easy to find.

Water

Depends on area but generally OK. However, to be on the safe side drink bottled water with gas ("con gas" or "agua mineral"). That way you know it wasn't filled at a nearby stream or worse. It also makes brushing your teeth more exciting! It sounds like a whole 4th of July in your mouth!

Events

People

People in Chile are really genuinely friendly and helpful. They alone make a trip to Chile worthwhile.

Police

Well every country has to have them. In the case of Chile they are really very good in spite of the somber military style uniforms. You will find the Carabineros very helpful and honest. If you do have a problem they will assist. One or two points: They frown on drunk driving a lot so don't do it, hey the cabs are cheap enough. They also use radar and laser for traffic speed enforcement so be forewarned.